Bob grew up in South Central Minnesota. His love for the outdoors was nourished from being raised on a farm and surrounded by a family heritage that included hunting and fishing. After graduating from High School in 1974, he studied auto mechanics and became a specialist in the transmission industry. Bob and his wife Brenda committed their lives to the Lord early in their marriage, raised two sons, and eventually moved from Minnesota to California and then to southern Wisconsin. Finding themselves as empty nesters, longing for the solitude of familiar country living, they relocated to Spooner, Wisconsin, in 2001. Together, they enjoyed work-related travel and a simpler lifestyle until the sudden illness and death of Brenda in early 2016.

Jeannine grew up in central Connecticut, with summers on the coast of Massachusetts. Her time spent on the beach, her passion for writing and photography, became a constant source of joy and escape from a difficult childhood. After high school, she sought a more relaxed lifestyle from the fast pace of the East Coast. Jeannine and her husband, Londe, moved to Spooner, Wisconsin, in 1979, where they committed their lives to the Lord and raised three daughters & three sons. Immersed in a rich community of godly families, they learned to parent by example. Life seemed pretty perfect, but as we all know, life doesn’t always go as we plan. After a long battle with leukemia, Londe died in the fall of 2011.

Bob and Jeannine met through a local grief group. Over the course of the 8-week support group, a strong bond developed among all the members. Together as a group, the decision to write a compilation to help others through the pain of loss was conceived and set in motion. The year-long project deepened friendships, and the book Grace for the Grieving was published. During this time spent together, Bob and Jeannine discovered a shared vision for ministering to others. With the commonality of loss between them, becoming facilitators for grief support was a natural fit. The background of Bob’s loving childhood heritage, along with the pain and neglect from Jeannine’s, drew them both into youth mentoring. Seeking God for direction, they knew His leading brought them together to serve others. They were married in August of 2018.

God inspired them to build a “safe-haven” rustic retreat for serving the brokenhearted through grief support, a place for youth mentoring programs to gather, and space for those needing a time of sabbatical. Stepping out in faith and prayer, Haven on Rice Creek non-profit, was established in December 2020 and continues to grow as the Spirit leads.

“Like a stained-glass window, God can take the shattered pieces of our lives and create something beautiful for His purpose. Our part is to let the “Son” shine through those broken pieces into the lives of others… and He will bring hope and healing when and where it is needed”.

Walking by faith,

Bob & Jeannine Warnke

Psalm 32:8